I found this whilst following the trail of the Stuffed White Owl - it led me to The Institute of Sikh Studies in Chandigarh - where I found this. . .

One may read cart-loads of books,
With caravan-loads of books to follow; One may study shiploads of volumes,
And heap them pile on pile in his cellars; One may read for years and years,
Right up to one’s last breath.
Of all things, it is a contemplative mind.That really matters;
All else is the fret and fever of egoistic minds.
Guru Granth Sahib, Rag Asa

Dr Staples rejected those claims as "laughable". He told BBC Breakfast: "We're not a secretive society. Nepotism (and) corruption is not tolerated." He added that the handshake used by members during ceremonies is "not secret" but, when he was asked to demonstrate it to viewers of BBC Breakfast, he declined, saying he had "promised" not to.

My attitude to organisations like this is the same as one of our greatest modern philosophers, Marx. (Not Karl, Groucho!) He said that he refused to join any club which would accept him as a member.
Having a good friend who was a Mason when dealing with matters that were of interest to them in a very tight political situation was very useful and avoided problems. I heard Dr Staples and I am afraid he didn't convince me. I have seen their influence at work and it wasn't always beneficial.

Stanley Challenger Graham
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net

"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!

My namesake is actually the Masons' Provincial Grand Master for East Lancashire. Sir DaveI
In that and all other respects we could not possibly be any more different - except we both have plenty of hair left.

I note that he says 'he hoped to encourage more men to join' - not in tune with the the latest PR campaign which seems to say that women are equally welcome since they have their own lodges. I think there were two in London.

There's something afoot. I'm guessing they need more money. It's not new though - when I went on pilgrimage to Barlick, which was four years ago now, there was a happening in the square which included a stall from the Freemasons. That was a surprise to me.

I read a book on the subject a long time ago which said that the 'cover' of charity work was false since all the charities were masonic charities. Perhaps mindful of this weakness in his case - in fact no one asked him about it - Dr Staples went out of his way to mention Motor Neurone Disease.

Here are the words that the otherwise eloquent Dr Staples could not bring himself to say.

When you first joined the site Doc and I were talking about you one day. I said there was quality in your posts and he agreed. We thought you might be Sir Dave....... Ah well, after the Lord Mayor's Procession......

Stanley Challenger Graham
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net

"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!

I have watched this mini-saga with amazement. For a start, how was the transport contract so badly managed as to allow supplies to dry up? Plenty of chicken and plenty of wagons, how could anything go wrong? Secondly the vox pop reactions the media saw fit to give us. Spoiled kids acting as though the bottom had fallen out of their world. If the parents got real, went to the Cathedral of Choice and bought a chicken it could all be solved! Mind you, the lack of the 'secret recipe' of rare spices and flavourings would nobble that one. The power of advertising!
I am a dinosaur and my mind goes back to rationing in WW2.....

Stanley Challenger Graham
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net

"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!

From a tribute to Sir Roger Bannister from The conservative woman website.

"Bannister’s achievements were set against a backdrop of real austerity which makes the current political use of the word almost nonsensical. Although he had a relatively privileged upbringing, he spent his formative athletic years in the cold, drab, strictly rationed and relatively fun-free world of post-war Britain. To reach excellence in such an environment shows qualities most of us would do well to emulate."

One of my former colleagues has sent me a quote from nutritionist David Katz, Director of the Prevention Research Centre at Yale University. Katz is well-known for his pithy comments. Speaking at a recent conference Katz said: "There is more than one way to eat badly and the American public is committed to exploring them all." Also he said: "So the ketogenic diet, sure, it will cause you to lose weight in the short term. So, would cholera, or a cocaine binge, but that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea."